U.S. patent number 5,033,783 [Application Number 07/424,367] was granted by the patent office on 1991-07-23 for parts mounting apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Kazumi Ishimoto, Yasuo Izumi, Yutaka Makino.
United States Patent |
5,033,783 |
Izumi , et al. |
July 23, 1991 |
Parts mounting apparatus
Abstract
A parts mounting apparatus which picks up a part by using a
suction nozzle provided in a mounting head and transports the part
so as to mount the part at a predetermined position, has: a suction
nozzle portion including a suction nozzle, a light transmitting
plate and a suction cylinder assembled such that the suction
nozzle, the light transmitting plate and the suction cylinder
define a suction chamber; the suction nozzle is made of light
transmitting material; the light transmitting plate is spaced a
proper distance from the suction nozzle; and the suction nozzle,
the light transmitting plate and the suction cylinder connected
integrally with each other.
Inventors: |
Izumi; Yasuo (Ikoma,
JP), Ishimoto; Kazumi (Katano, JP), Makino;
Yutaka (Kobe, JP) |
Assignee: |
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,
Ltd. (Osaka, JP)
|
Family
ID: |
17404200 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/424,367 |
Filed: |
October 19, 1989 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
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Oct 20, 1988 [JP] |
|
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63-264507 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
294/185; 29/743;
294/907; 414/737; 901/40; 901/47 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B25J
15/0616 (20130101); B25J 19/021 (20130101); Y10S
294/907 (20130101); Y10T 29/53191 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B25J
15/06 (20060101); B25J 19/02 (20060101); B25J
015/06 (); B25J 019/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;294/64.1,65,907,2
;901/40,46,47 ;29/743 ;414/730,737,121 ;604/187 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Focarino; Margaret A.
Assistant Examiner: Kramer; Dean J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a parts mounting apparatus having means for picking up a part
by a mounting head and transporting the part to mount the part at a
predetermined position, the combination comprising:
a suction pick-up nozzle means for mounting on said mounting head
including a suction nozzle, a light transmitting plate spaced from
said suction nozzle to leave a space therebetween, and a suction
cylinder integrally connected between said suction nozzle and said
light transmitting plate and surrounding said space to define a
suction chamber therein;
said suction nozzle being made of light transmitting material,
and
a part shape and position recognition camera positioned outwardly
of said light transmitting plate and directed toward said plate and
through said suction chamber and suction nozzle for viewing parts
picked up by said suction nozzle and recognizing their shape and
their position on said suction nozzle and for supplying a control
signal to said part picking up and transporting means.
2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a
support cylinder for mounting on said mounting head and for
receiving said suction pick-up nozzle means therein, said support
cylinder having a vacuum suction passage opening thereinto, and
said suction cylinder having an opening therethrough which
communicates said suction chamber with said vacuum suction
passage.
3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein said opening is
constituted by a first part having an edge flush with said suction
nozzle and a second part having an edge flush with said light
transmitting plate.
4. The combination as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a
retaining means on said suction pick-up nozzle means and said
support cylinder for detachably mounting said suction pick-up
nozzle means on said mounting head and for freeing said suction
pick-up nozzle means by a single movement.
5. The combination as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a
retaining means on said suction pick-up nozzle means and said
mounting head for detachably mounting said suction pick-up nozzle
means on said mounting head and for freeing said suction pick-up
nozzle means by a single movement.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to parts mounting
apparatuses used for mounting electronic parts on a circuit board
through suction on the electronic parts, etc. and more
particularly, to a parts mounting apparatus having a suction nozzle
made of transparent material.
Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 1, in order to mount electronic
parts on a circuit board, an electronic part P to be mounted is
sucked by a suction nozzle 51 at a parts feeding position 52 and
then, the suction nozzle 51 is displaced to a recognition the
position where position of the electronic part P sucked by the
suction nozzle 51 is detected by a recognition camera 53.
Subsequently, the suction nozzle 51 is displaced to a position
confronting a mounting position of the electronic part P on a
circuit board B. After inaccurate positioning of the electronic
part P has been corrected, the electronic part P is mounted at a
predetermined position on the circuit board B.
However, in the known parts mounting apparatus referred to above,
the suction nozzle 51 is accurately positioned at the recognition
the position in the course of displacement of the suction nozzle 51
towards the circuit board B after the electronic part P has been
sucked by the suction nozzle 51. Then, after position of the
electronic part P relative to the suction nozzle 51 has been
recognized, the suction nozzle 51 is again displaced. Therefore,
the known parts mounting apparatus has a drawback that the cycle
time for mounting one electronic part P becomes long, thereby
resulting in reduction of mounting efficiency.
Thus, the assignee of the present inventors proposed earlier an
electronic parts mounting apparatus which includes a suction nozzle
made of light transmitting material and a recognition means for
recognizing the position, shape, etc. of an electronic part sucked
by the suction nozzle. In this prior art electronic parts mounting
apparatus, space arround the suction nozzle is required to be
formed into a light transmitting suction chamber such that not only
the electronic part vacuum-sucked by the suction nozzle but also
the electronic part as a whole can be recognized. To this end,
space arround the suction nozzle is closed by a light transmitting
plate spaced a proper distance from the suction nozzle such that
the suction chamber is defined. However, since the suction nozzle
is detachably mounted on a mounting head in order to make it
possible to wash the suction nozzle, air leakage at the mounting
portion between the suction nozzle and the mounting head is large,
so that it is difficult to increase the degree of vacuum of the
suction chamber and thus, it is difficult to pick up a heavy
electronic part.
Furthermore, in this prior art electronic parts mounting apparatus,
since suction and cancellation of suction are required to be
repeated at high speed, the volume of the suction chamber should be
made small. Hence, the distance between the suction nozzle and the
light transmitting plate becomes short and thus, dust, etc. mixed
into the suction air adhere to the suction nozzle as well as the
light transmitting plate. Accordingly, both the suction nozzle and
the light transmitting plate are detachably mounted so they can be
washed easily. As a result, since it becomes more difficult to
increase the degree of vacuum of the suction chamber and the
mounting construction of the suction nozzle becomes complicated,
the prior art electronic parts mounting apparatus has disadvantages
such that positioning accuracy of the suction nozzle is reduced and
washing of the suction nozzle and the light transmitting plate
becomes troublesome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an essential object of the present invention is to
provide, with a view to eliminating the inconveniences inherent in
the conventional parts mounting apparatuses, a parts mounting
apparatus in which the degree of vacuum of a suction chamber can be
increased, positioning accuracy of the suction nozzle is improved
and a washing operation of the suction nozzle can be performed
easily and efficiently.
In order to accomplish this object of the present invention, a
parts mounting apparatus embodying the present invention is
characterized in that a suction nozzle portion includes a suction
nozzle made of light transmitting material, a light transmitting
plate disposed so as to be spaced a proper distance from the
suction nozzle and a suction cylinder defining a suction chamber
together with the suction nozzle and the light transmitting plate
such that the suction nozzle, the light transmitting plate and the
suction cylinder are provided integrally with each other.
It is desirable that a support cylinder for receiving the suction
cylinder of the suction nozzle portion is provided in a mounting
head and is formed with a vacuum suction passage, while an opening
communicating the suction chamber with the vacuum suction passage
is formed in the suction cylinder. The above mentioned opening may
be replaced by first and second openings flush with the suction
nozzle and the light transmitting plate, respectively. Furthermore,
a retaining means for detachably fixing, by a single touch, the
suction nozzle portion to the mounting head is provided.
In accordance with the present invention, since the suction nozzle,
the light transmitting plate and the suction cylinder, which define
the suction chamber, are provided integrally with each other, the
degree of vacuum of the suction chamber can be improved. Since
mounting of the suction nozzle and the light transmitting plate can
be performed by merely mounting the suction nozzle portion on the
mounting head, the mounting construction of the suction nozzle and
the light transmitting plate is simplified, so that positioning
accuracy of the suction nozzle is improved and washing of the
suction nozzle and the light transmitting plate can be performed at
the same time.
Meanwhile, since the suction cylinder of the suction nozzle portion
is fitted into the support cylinder of the mounting head such that
the suction chamber is communicated with the vacuum suction passage
through an opening in the suction cylinder, not only can mounting
of the suction nozzle portion and connection of the suction nozzle
portion with a vacuum suction means can be performed simultaneously
and easily but the suction nozzle portion can be sealed easily. If
first and second openings flush with the suction nozzle and the
light transmitting plate, respectively, are formed on the suction
cylinder, the suction chamber can be filled with washing liquid
rapidly, and thus the suction nozzle and the light transmitting
plate can be washed efficiently.
Furthermore, if the suction nozzle portion is detachably mounted on
the mounting head through a single touch of a retaining member, it
becomes possible to carry out changing of the parts promptly by
providing various suction nozzle portions for different kinds of
the parts, respectively. In addition, by preparing spare suction
nozzle portions, mounting operation can be continued substantially
without interruption of the operation of the apparatus even at the
time of washing of the suction nozzle portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
This object and features of the present invention will become
apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment
thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing operation of a
prior art parts mounting apparatus (already referred to);
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a mounting head of a parts mounting
apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the parts mounting
apparatus for the mounting head of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a suction nozzle portion of the
parts, mounting apparatus of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, particularly showing a
modification thereof.
Before the description of the present invention proceeds, it is to
be noted that like parts are designated by like reference numerals
throughout several views of the accompanying drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a
parts mounting apparatus K according one embodiment of the present
invention. In FIG. 3, the apparatus K includes an apparatus frame
1. A Y-axis table 2 movable in the direction of the arrow Y is
provided at one side of an upper face of the apparatus frame 1 and
an X-axis table 3 movable in the direction of the arrow X is
provided on the Y-axis table 2. A Z-axis table 4 is movable along
the X-axis table 3 in the direction of the arrow Y and a mounting
head 5 including a suction nozzle portion 11 is movably mounted on
the Z-axis table 4 so as to be moved in the direction of the arrow
Z.
Meanwhile, a parts feeding means 6 employing an assembly of
tapelike parts and a parts feeding means 7 in which parts are
accommodated in a tray are provided at a rear portion of the upper
face of the apparatus frame 1. A transport and positioning means 9
for transporting and positioning a circuit board B on which an
electronic part P is mounted is provided at a front portion of the
upper face of the apparatus frame 1. A parts feeding means 8 for
feeding special parts is provided at the other side of the upper
face of the apparatus frame 1. It is so arranged that the suction
nozzle portion 11 can be displaced between a sucking position for
picking up the electronic part P at each of the parts feeding means
and an arbitrary mounting position for mounting the electronic part
P on the circuit board B. An ultrasonic washing reservoir 10 acting
as a washing means is provided at a side of the parts feeding means
7 and is positioned in the movable range of movement of the suction
nozzle portion 11.
In FIG. 2, the suction nozzle portion 11 is constituted by a
suction nozzle 12 made of light transmitting material, a light
transmitting plate 13 and a suction cylinder 14. The light
transmitting plate 13 is provided above the suction nozzle 12 and
spaced a proper distance from the suction nozzle 12. The suction
nozzle 12 and the light transmitting plate 13 are, respectively,
integrally attached to lower and upper end portions of the suction
cylinder 14. A suction chamber 15 is defined by the suction nozzle
12, the light transmitting plate 13 and the suction cylinder 14. A
plurality of suction openings 16 are formed in a side wall of the
suction cylinder 14 at a predetermined circumferential interval so
as to be flush with an upper face of the suction nozzle 12. A
flange 14a is provided at an outer periphery of a lower end of the
suction cylinder 14. The suction cylinder 14 of the suction nozzle
portion 11 is fitted into a support cylinder 17 and is retained by
an elastic retaining member 18 such that the suction nozzle portion
11 can be replaced merely through a single touch operation of the
retaining member 18 with a different nozzle portion 11 in
accordance with size of the electronic part P to be sucked.
An annular groove 19a is formed at an inner periphery of a lower
portion of the support cylinder 17 so as to confront the suction
openings 16 and a passage 19b communicating with the annular groove
19a opens out of an outer peripheral surface of an upper portion of
the support cylinder 17. A vacuum suction passage 20 is formed by
the annular groove 19a and the passage 19b. A sealing member 21 is
inserted between the flange 14a of the suction cylinder 14 and a
lower end face of the support cylinder 17, while a sealing member
22 is inserted between an upper end of the suction cylinder 14 and
a step portion formed at an inner periphery of the support cylinder
17.
The support cylinder 17 is fitted into an inner periphery of a
lower end portion of a rotary cylinder 23 and is slightly
vertically movably supported through engagement of a pin 24 with an
elongated opening 25. An elastic member 26 provided for shock
absorbing purposes is inserted between an upper end face of the
support cylinder 17 and a step portion formed at an inner periphery
of the rotary cylinder 23. In addition, a through-hole 27 is formed
at a lower end portion of the rotary cylinder 23 so as to confront
an opening of the passage 19b and sealing members 28a and 28b are
provided at an inner periphery of lower and upper portions of the
rotary cylinder 23, respectively.
The rotary cylinder 23 is rotatably supported, through bearings 29a
and 29b provided at an intermediate portion of the rotary cylinder
23 and spaced a proper distance from each other, by a movable
member 30 which is vertically movable along the Z-axis table 4. A
spacer 31 is inserted between inner rings of the bearings 29a and
29b. A nut 34 is threadedly engaged with a outer periphery of the
rotary cylinder 23 so as to axially depress and secure the bearings
29a and 29b through a collar 33. A pulley 35 is mounted on the
outer periphery of an upper end of the rotary cylinder 23 and is
driven by a driving motor (not shown) so as to rotate the suction
nozzle portion 11 to an arbitrary angular orientation.
A suction head 37 is fitted around the outer periphery of the lower
end of the rotary cylinder 23 and is supported by a retaining ring
38 such that the rotary cylinder 23 and the suction head 37 are
moved relative to each other. An annular groove 39 is formed at an
inner periphery of the suction head 37 so as to confront the
through-hole 27. Furthermore, a recess 40 is formed at an outer
peripheral surface of the suction head 37 so as to be communicated
with the annular groove 39 and a filter 41 is provided in the
recess 40. A coupling member 42 of a vacuum suction means (not
shown) is mounted on an outer periphery of the suction head 37 so
as to confront the recess 40. Sealing members 43a and 43b are
provided at an inner periphery of the suction head 37.
A recognition camera 45 is provided above the rotary cylinder 23
coaxially with the rotary cylinder 23. An optical lens system 44 is
mounted on a lower portion of the recognition camera 45. In
addition, a plurality of illuminating lamps 46 for irradiating
illuminating light to the suction nozzle portion 11 are provided
around the movable member 30 at a proper interval. A plurality of
windows 47 for transmitting this illuminating light therethrough
are formed in the rotary cylinder 23 and the spacer 31.
As shown in FIG. 4, washing liquid 10a is accommodated in the
ultrasonic washing reservoir 10 and an ultrasonic oscillator 10b is
mounted on a lower face of a bottom wall of the reservoir 10. A
washing manipulator 48 is vertically movably provided in the
reservoir 10. A washing manipulator 48 is engageable with the
flange 14a of the suction nozzle portion 11 so as to hold the
suction nozzle portion 11 and is vertically movable between a lower
position where the suction nozzle portion 11 is dipped in the
washing liquid 10a and an upper position where the suction nozzle
portion 11 is pulled upwardly out of the washing liquid 10a.
Hereinbelow, operation of the parts mounting apparatus K is
described. Initially, the suction nozzle portion 11 is displaced to
a position above and confronting a picking up position for sucking
the electronic part P. Then, shape of the electronic part P
disposed at the sucking position is recognized by the recognition
camera 45 through the suction nozzle 12 made of light transmitting
material and the light transmitting plate 13. In the case where the
electronic part P has an improper shape, suction of the electronic
part P is not performed and the next electronic part P is fed to
the sucking position and the shape of that electronic part P is
recognized by the recognition camera 45. When the shape of the
electronic part P is proper, the movable member 30 is lowered so
that the electronic part P is sucked by the suction nozzle portion
11. After the suction nozzle portion 11 has been lifted to its
original position, the X-axis table 3 and the Y-axis table 2 are
actuated such that the electronic part P held by the suction nozzle
portion 11 is displaced to a position above its predetermined
mounting position o the circuit board B. At this time, position of
the electronic part P sucked by the suction nozzle portion 11 is
accurately recognized by the recognition camera 45, whereby amounts
of deviation of the electronic part P from its predetermined
sucking position in the directions of the arrows X and Y and an
angle .theta. of inclination relative to its predetermined mounting
orientation are detected and corrected through correction of
amounts of travel of the X-axis table 3 and the Y-axis table 2 and
through rotation of the pulley 35, respectively. Thereafter, the
movable member 30 is lowered and air is introduced into the suction
chamber 15 so as to cancel suction such that the electronic part P
is accurately mounted at the predetermined mounting position of the
circuit board B. By repeating the above described operation, the
proper electronic parts P are, respectively, efficiently mounted at
the mounting positions on the circuit board B sequentially.
Meanwhile, if dust, etc. are carried into the suction chamber 15
together with suction air at the time of suction of the electronic
part P and adhere to the suction nozzle 12 or the light
transmitting plate 13, dust, etc. are detected by the recognition
camera 45. To this end, and operating program is formulated such
that dirt on the suction nozzle 12 and the light transmitting plate
13 is detected at each mounting operation or at an interval of a
proper number of mounting operations by the recognition camera 45.
In order to detect dirt on the suction nozzle 12 and the light
transmitting plate 13, a method, for example, can be employed in
which the suction nozzle portion 11 is placed on an illuminator or
a white pattern and is viewed by the recognition camera 45 and a
decision that the suction nozzle 12 or the light transmitting plate
13 is dirty is made if the number of picture elements having a
black level caused by dirt has exceeded a predetermined value.
When dirt on the suction nozzle 12 or the light transmitting plate
13 has been detected as described above, a cleaning command is
issued and thus, the mounting head 5 is displaced towards the
ultrasonic washing reservoir 10. Subsequently, the flange 14a of
the suction cylinder 14 is engaged with the washing manipulator 48
and then, the movable member 30 is raised while the suction nozzle
portion 11 is held by the washing manipulator 48. Thereafter, in
place of the suction nozzle portion 11 held by the washing
manipulator 48, another suction nozzle portion 11 is mounted on the
mounting head 5 so as to start a mounting operation.
On the other hand, the suction nozzle portion 11 held by the
washing manipulator 48 is dipped in the washing liquid 10a upon
descent of the washing manipulator 48. Therefore, the washing
liquid 10a enters the suction chamber 15 from the suction opening
16 and thus, the suction nozzle 12 and the light transmitting plate
13 are subjected to ultrasonic washing. After the suction nozzle 12
and the light transmitting plate 13 have been washed for a
predetermined time period, the washing manipulator 48 is raised out
of the washing liquid 10a and the suction nozzle portion 11 is
dried by an appropriate drying means, etc. After completion of
washing and drying of the suction nozzle portion 11, the suction
nozzle portion 11 is set in a waiting location. Upon passage of a
proper duration at the waiting location, the suction nozzle portion
11 is mounted on the mounting head 5 by procedures opposite to
those described above so as to resume the mounting operation of the
electronic part P.
In the above described embodiment, the ultrasonic washing reservoir
is employed as a cleaning means but can be replaced by other
cleaning means.
In the above described embodiment, only the suction openings 16
flush with the suction nozzle 12 are formed in the suction cylinder
14 but this can be modified in various ways. For example, FIG. 5
shows a suction nozzle portion 11' which is a modification of the
suction nozzle portion 11. In the suction nozzle portion 11', a
plurality of first openings 16a for vacuum suction and a plurality
of second openings 16b acting as air outlets are formed in the
suction cylinder 14 so as to be flush with the upper face of the
suction nozzle 12 and with a lower face of the light transmitting
plate 13, respectively. Since the washing liquid 10a is easily
filled in the suction chamber 15 through the second openings 16b ,
the suction nozzle portion 11' can be washed more effectively than
the suction nozzle portion 11.
As is clear from the foregoing description, in accordance with the
present invention, since the suction nozzle, the light transmitting
plate and the suction cylinder, which define the suction chamber,
are integrally provided as the suction nozzle portion, the degree
of vacuum of the suction chamber can be improved and thus, even a
heavy part can be positively sucked by the suction nozzle portion.
Further, since the suction nozzle and the light transmitting plate
can be mounted on the mounting head by mounting the suction nozzle
portion, construction of the mounting means for the suction nozzle
and the light transmitting plate is simplified, thereby resulting
in improvement of positioning accuracy of the suction nozzle.
Furthermore, washing of the suction nozzle and the light
transmitting plate can be performed easily.
Further, since the suction cylinder of the suction nozzle portion
is fitted into the support cylinder of the mounting head such that
the suction chamber is communicated with the vacuum suction passage
through the openings of the suction cylinder, not only can mounting
of the suction nozzle portion and connection of the suction nozzle
portion with the vacuum suction means be performed simultaneously
and easily but the suction nozzle portion can be sealed easily.
Furthermore, if the first and second openings are, respectively,
formed in the suction cylinder so as to be flush with the suction
nozzle and the light transmitting plate, the suction chamber can be
rapidly filled with the washing liquid and thus, the suction nozzle
and the light transmitting plate can be washed efficiently.
Moreover, since the suction nozzle portion can be mounted on and
removed from the mounting head merely through a single movement of
the retaining member, it becomes possible to carry out a change of
the parts promptly and the mounting operation can be continued
substantially without interruption during the time of washing of
the suction nozzle portion.
Although the present invention has been fully described by way of
example with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be
noted here that various changes and modifications will be apparent
to those skilled in the art. Therefore, unless otherwise such
changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present
invention, they should be construed as being included therein.
* * * * *